Esther "Hetty" Saunders (c. 1793–1862) was a poet in New Jersey, USA. She was African American and born a slave before her family escaped and she was taken in by a Quaker family in New Jersey. Her burial site at the Salem Friends Burial Ground is part of the New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail.
Esther Saunder | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1793 |
| Died | 1862 |
| Occupation | Poet |
Saunders was born into slavery in Delaware around 1793.[1] Her father escaped with her and her brother to freedom in Elsinboro Township, Salem County in 1800 by crossing the Delaware River.[2] Saunders then lived in Salem County, New Jersey for much of her life. Her work includes The Little Wanderer. She was taken in, reared and educated by a Quaker family, Joseph and Ann Brick Hall.[2]
She died on 15 December 1862[1] and is buried at Salem Friends Burial Ground.[3]
Works
editHer works include:
- Hetty Saunders (2001). I Love to Live Alone: The Poems of Esther "Hetty" Saunders. Salem County Historical Society.
- The Hill of Age (written to honor Judy Wyring, who was a 109-year-old black woman)[4]
References
edit- ^ a b Sibyl E. Moses (1 January 2003). African American Women Writers in New Jersey, 1836-2000: A Biographical Dictionary and Bibliographic Guide. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-3183-0.
- ^ a b "Esther "Hetty" Saunders Historical Marker". hmdb.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "Poet Hetty Saunders describes her escape". 7 Steps to Freedom. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ Salem Quarterly Meeting (Society of Friends). History Committee (1991). Salem Quarter: the Quakers of Salem Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Southern New Jersey from 1675-1990. Salem Quarterly Meeting.
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